- Date
- August 18, 1990, 04:00 local (11:00 UTC)
- Place
- Mendota, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N3657XRockwell S2R
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report March 5, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900818034339A
- Case key
- 26563
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
Loss of engine power for an unknown reason. Darkness was a related factor.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot reported that there was a loss of power during a spray run. He dumped his chemical load. Subsequently, the aircraft collided with crops and a ditch, then it nosed over. No pre-accident part failure or malfunction of the engine was found. The collision occurred during darkness at 0400 PDT.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3657X
- Reported as
- Rockwell S2R
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1888R
- Airframe hours
- 8,329
- Engine
- P&W R-1340, 600 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- Western Ag. Aviation, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 7, 1990 · 343 hours before
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 28
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 2,600 total · 1,000 in this make and model · 200 in the last 90 days · 100 in the last 30 days · 8 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 68 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.